Prosecutors in the Harvey Updyke case are bringing out the big guns, or at least they will if they have to.

In a response to the request from Updyke’s defense to disclose its expert witness list, prosecutors revealed they would retain forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner. If the name doesn’t sound familiar, his face might. Welner is a former ABC News contributor and founder of The Forensic Panel in New York City. He regularly consults on high profile criminal and court proceedings and frequently appears as a commentator on network news and talk shows such as Good Morning America, The View and Piers Morgan Tonight.

It was stated that Welner has not provided an expert psychological report or opinion due to the fact that the state has not been provided medical records from Taylor Hardin Medical Facility in Tuscaloosa, where Updyke was examined for mental stability. The state will provide a copy of Welner’s report if he is called as an expert witness in the trial.

Since Updyke’s defense strategy at one point included citing an old State of Alabama statue placing the the value of “any cypress, pecan, oak, pine, cedar, poplar, walnut, hickory or wild cherry tree, or sapling of that kind” destroyed by a person other than the consenting “owner of the land” at $20, having Welner as a possible witness seems a wise choice for the prosecution. Welner is known for his work on The Depravity Scale, which according to his website “attempts to scientifically standardize the definition of legal terms such as ‘heinous,’ ‘atrocious,’ ‘evil,’ and ‘depraved’ according to input from the general public.”

A Lee County judge revoked Updykes bond Wednesday morning. He’ll be in jail until his trial starts on April 8.

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